1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to board games, and more specifically to a trivia game involving multiple levels of difficulty selectable by each of the players. Players providing a correct response at the highest level of difficulty, have the option of advancing their own position marker, or alternatively setting back the position marker of another player, as desired.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various board games testing the knowledge and/or skill of the players, have been known for centuries. More recently, games involving the testing of trivial knowledge (e. g., Trivial Pursuit, .TM.) have become popular. Such games generally involve a peripheral or other playing path described over a portion of the board, with the playing path being common to all players. Players advance position markers along the playing path according to the degree of success of each in correctly responding to randomly selected questions, usually contained in a deck of question and answer cards.
The results of such a game are generally straightforward, with players having a greater knowledge in the given subject or field of the game, almost always winning the game. Each player's fate is in his or her own hands in such a game, and there is nothing any of the other players can do to alter the course of success of such a superior player. Once such a player approaches the end point of the game, the result is a foregone conclusion.
Accordingly, a need will be seen for a question and response game with rules or procedures allowing players to retard or set back the progress of other players, under certain circumstances of play. The game is played on a board having a series of parallel playing paths thereon, with each player using a single one of the paths. The winning player is the first to move one's position marker from one end of the board (or path) to the other, in accordance with the rules. Opposing players may restrict or reverse the progress of a player by correctly answering a question, preferably at a higher level of difficulty, and choosing to move the player's marker back rather than advancing their own marker. An incorrect response results in the corresponding position marker being set back a corresponding number of positions, depending upon the level of difficulty of the selected question. While the present game may be played using questions from virtually any subject area, it is particularly directed to the use of trivia questions based upon television programs, and more particularly upon current or past situation comedies ("sitcoms").
A discussion of the related art of which the present inventor is aware, and its differences and distinctions from the present invention, is provided below.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,090,717 issued on May 23, 1978 to Susan Rossetti, titled "Educational Game," describes a board game having a game board with a single sinusoidal path thereover. Separate question cards and answer cards are provided, with each card having only a single question or answer thereon. A single die is used to determine the number of positions advanced by each player after a correct response to a question. No means for setting back the progress of an opponent, is provided by Rossetti. In contrast, the present game provides both questions and corresponding correct responses on opposite sides of a single card, thereby eliminating any possibility of non-corresponding question and answer cards becoming mixed together. Each of the cards of the present game includes a series of questions, and their corresponding answers, having various degrees of difficulty, unlike the single question and answer cards of the Rossetti game. No chance element is provided in the present game; the advance of a given player's position marker is entirely dependent upon the knowledge of that player. However, the present game provides an added element of interest by allowing a player to set back the position marker of an opposing player, if the first player is able to answer a question correctly at the highest level of difficulty and chooses to use his or her move to set back the opposing player.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,121,823 issued on Oct. 24, 1978 to Tarrie A. McBride, titled "Educational Device Employing A Game Situation," describes a game having a game board with a single peripheral playing path therearound. Questions and answers are provided on a series of different decks of cards, with each deck pertaining to a slightly different subject area corresponding to a position on the game board, thus opening the possibility of mixing different decks. No means for setting back the progress of another player is provided by McBride in her game. The present game utilizes only a single deck of question and answer cards, with questions on one side of the card and answers on the opposite side. All players select a single card randomly from the deck regardless of their position on the board. The provision for setting back the progress of another player by successfully answering a question of the highest level of difficulty, the plurality of paths on the game board, and other features, render the present game different from the McBride game.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,273,337 issued on Jun. 16, 1981 to Michael A. Carrera et al., titled "Family Sex Education Board Game," has a game board with a single peripheral path therearound and a series of different groups of question cards, each of a different level of difficulty. Additional discussion and bonus cards are also provided. The Carrera et al. cards must be carefully kept from being mixed with one another in order to retain the qualities of the game, whereas the present cards form a single deck. Moreover, Carrera et al. require a separate answer book, whereas the questions and corresponding answers of the present game are included on opposite sides of single cards. Carrera et al. do not provide any penalty or setback for incorrect answers, do not provide for a player to set back the progress of another player under certain circumstances, include chance means in the play of the game, and provide a separate score sheet and score marking pegs, each of which features is different from the present game.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,714,255 issued on Dec. 22, 1987 to Daniel P. Henry et al., titled "Educational Board Game," describes a game having a game board with a complex pair of intersecting playing paths thereon, unlike the present game board. Chance means are used to determine the distance traveled at each play, unlike the present game. A correctly answering player continues to roll the die and advance, so long as he or she continues to answer each question correctly at each play, unlike the present game. No means is provided for setting back the position of another player, nor being set back for incorrectly answering a question, as in the present game. Henry et al. provide different levels of difficulty, but the level must be selected at the beginning of the game by each player, and may only be changed according to certain specific rules and locations of the game board during play, unlike the present game where each player may select any level of difficulty desired at each turn.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,856,780 issued on Aug. 15, 1989 to Samuel E. Begley et al., titled "Sports Trivia Board Game," describes a question and response game having questions of different levels of difficulty. Progress about the peripheral path of the game board, and the difficulty of the questions provided to the players during play, is determined purely by chance means, with the players having no input. Thus, a player of the Begley et al. game may by chance advance only a single position on the board, yet be required to answer a question at the highest level of difficulty, unlike the present game. As the score is maintained on a separate sheet in the Begley et al. game, no provision is made to set back the position of a player marker for an incorrect answer, as provided for in the present game. Moreover, Begley et al. make no provision for setting back an opposing player's marker, when another player correctly responds to a question at a given level of difficulty, as provided for in the present game.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,889,345 issued on Dec. 26, 1983 to Randy A. Wawryk, titled "Board Game," describes a game having a board with a double peripheral playing path and multiple scoring levels, unlike the present game board with its separate playing paths for each player. Advancement about the board is determined by chance means, unlike the present game. Question and answer cards are provided by Wawryk, but are divided into five different categories, unlike the present question and answer cards. Wawryk makes no provision for player position advancement according to the level of difficulty of questions answered, as in the present game, nor does he provide any means for setting back an opposing player's marker when another player correctly answers a question at a given level of difficulty, as provided in the present game.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,907,808 issued on Mar. 13, 1990 to Glenn Turner et al., titled "Trivia Board Game," describes a game having a game board with a hexagonal configuration and radial and peripheral playing paths, unlike the game board of the present game. Player position markers must be progressively assembled according to player progress during the course of the game. Progress along the playing paths is determined by chance means, with players being required to answer questions selected from one of several groups of cards, unlike the single pack of cards of the present game. While one of the groups of cards of the Turner et al. game is divided into questions relating to different subject areas, Turner et al. do not describe any differing levels of difficulty for their questions, as provided in the present game. Moreover, Turner et al. are silent regarding any provision for setting back an opposing player, or for advancement of a position marker according to the degree of difficulty of a correctly answered question, as provided in the present game.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,042,816 issued on Aug. 27, 1991 to Tracy L. Davis et al., titled "Biblical Question And Answer Game," describes a game having a game board with a peripheral path and at least one crossing path, unlike the game board of the present invention. Davis et al. provide different groups of cards, unlike the present game. One group has plural questions on each card, but the questions are selected by chance means and do not differ in difficulty, as do the present cards. Moreover, Davis et al. do not provide means to set back the progress of an opposing player.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,121,928 issued on Jun. 16, 1992 to Nadja Salerno-Sonneberg, titled "Method Of Playing A Question And Answer Movie Board Game," describes a game with a board having a peripheral playing path, unlike the present game board. The winner of the game is determined by collecting a predetermined number of markers, each of which corresponds to a category of questions. Players must correctly answer a predetermined number of questions in a given category in order to collect a marker for that category. In contrast, the question and answer cards of the present game comprise only a single group, with each card including a plurality of questions of differing levels of difficulty. The winner of the present game is the first player to advance along his or her individual playing path to its end. No chance means is used in the play of the present game, as opposed to the Salerno-Sonneberg game.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,152,535 issued on Oct. 6, 1992 to Adolph Roberts, titled "Bible Quiz Game," describes a game having a game board with playing paths of different levels of difficulty. Players select the level of difficulty desired at the beginning of the game and are restricted to that level throughout the game, rather than being allowed to select a question of a certain level of difficulty at each turn, as in the present game. "Freeze" cards are provided for a player to restrict an opponent from advancing, but this differs from the present game in that (1) the "freeze" cards may only be used against an opponent positioned on one of the penultimate positions of the game board paths, and (2) no means is provided for setting back the position of an opposing player.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,607,160 issued on Mar. 4, 1997 to Arthur J. Stevens et al., titled "Three Talent Boardgame," describes a game having a triangular board with intersecting arcuate playing paths thereon. The playing paths are divided into a series of three different types of positions, requiring teams of players to answer a series of three questions, draw representations of three different articles, or act out representations of three different words, depending upon the position. Chance means is used to determine the number of positions to be moved on each team's turn, unlike the present game in which the distance advanced is determined according to the difficulty of the question selected by the player. Stevens et al. provide no means for setting back the progress of a player in the event of an incorrect response, and/or for setting back the progress of an opponent if a first player responds correctly to a question at a predetermined level of difficulty.
British Patent Publication No. 2,021,959 published on Dec. 12, 1979 to Keith H. Lillie, titled "Steeple Chase Game," describes a game having a board with a continuous, circuitous playing path thereon, unlike the present game board. Advancement along the playing path is determined by chance means, unlike the present game. Questions are only provided at certain obstacle points along the path, rather than being a requirement for advancement, as in the present game. Also, Lillie does not disclose any means of setting back an opposing player's marker when a first player correctly responds to a question at a given level of difficulty.
British Patent Publication No. 2,200,291 published on Aug. 3, 1988 to Kitfix Swallow Group, Ltd., titled "Board Games," describes a game having a game board with a series of convoluted, branching playing paths thereon, unlike the present board. Each of the paths is divided into a series of positions, with different players or teams advancing along each of the branches. Players must correctly answer questions corresponding to the specific subject area of the respective branch selected. Additional cards are provided, which are awarded to players or teams reaching the ends of their respective branches. Play continues until at least one player returns along his or her respective branch to a finishing position. The amount of advancement is determined by chance means, rather than being selected by the player as in the present game, and no means is provided for setting back an opponent or for setting back the progress of a given player in the event of an incorrect response, as in the present game.
British Patent Publication No. 2,219,744 published on Dec. 20, 1989 to Gillian M. Rowland, titled "Game Apparatus," describes a game having a game board with a peripheral playing path therearound. Moves are determined by chance means with players being required to answer a question if they land on certain positions about the board, unlike the present game where players must answer a question at each turn but select the degree of difficulty and corresponding advancement (or set back) themselves. Rowland provides for a set back in the event of an incorrectly answered question, but does not provide for set back of an opponent.
French Patent Publication No. 2,626,779 published on Aug. 11, 1989 illustrates a board game with the board having a sinusoidal playing path. Chance means are used to determine the advancement of player position markers along the board, unlike the present game. No questions having different levels of difficulty are disclosed in the English abstract of the reference, nor is there any mention of the set back of position markers in the event of an incorrectly answered question or of setting back an opposing position marker under certain circumstances, as provided in the present game.
French Patent Publication No. 2,672,228 published on Aug. 7, 1992 illustrates a board game having a board representing a global map, unlike the present game board. According to the English abstract, a pair of dice each having different markings thereon is used to determine the question to be responded to by a player, and various penalties. Players answering successfully receive a marker in an indicator or scoring area of the board, unlike the present game. No means for setting back the progress of an opponent when a first player correctly answers a question, or for setting back the progress of a player when that player answers incorrectly, is disclosed in this reference, which features are both provided for in the present game.
Finally, the December, 1994 issue of Games Magazine, pages 24 and 25, describes a trivia game involving questions taken from various subject areas of other trivia games. The game board and rules are generally conventional, with the board comprising a peripheral playing path, unlike the present game board. Chance means are used to determine the advance of player position markers about the board, unlike the present game. Players continue to play so long as they are able to answer questions correctly, unlike the present game. No means is disclosed for setting back the position markers of any of the players, as provided in the present game.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.